2. The General Assembly's Environmental Review Commission met yesterday morning.Topics of discussion included: how to dispose of solar panels once they reach their expiration date twenty years from now, and whether to relax North Carolina's water pollution rules for no discernible reason.

From WRAL:

Deputy Environment Secretary Tom Reeder told the Environmental Review Commission that the Department of Environmental Quality is looking at regulations that govern buffers around smaller streams, as well as laws requiring the reduction of nutrient runoff into Falls and Jordan lakes.

The state has been directed by federal regulators to reduce runoff into those "impaired" lakes because they exceed limits for "total maximum daily load" of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate, leading to high levels of chlorophyll-A, a type of algae. More stringent rules for Falls Lake are due to take effect in 2021, while the Jordan Lake Rules have been largely delayed since 2007.

Reeder said local governments and private citizens have spent millions so far to reduce pollution from "point sources" such as water treatment plants as well as "non-point sources" such as runoff from residential or agricultural property. But he said there's no clear evidence that the efforts are having the intended effect.

No surprise here. Tom Reeder is discouraging solar because we "don't know" how to deal with expired solar panels in twenty years, and is advocating against protecting rivers and streams. Because "current protections may not be working," or because "let's just go ahead and develop everything.$$$$"

3. Jeb Bush cheered against the Panthers because Peyton Manning gave money to Jeb!'s campaign. He actually said this.